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Is honesty your policy?

Finding a lost item that belongs to someone else brings a decision to make: Should I return this or keep it?

Is honesty your policy?

Finding a lost item that belongs to someone else brings a decision to make: Should I return this or keep it?

Wendy JessenDec 21, 2014

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When you lose an item — a phone, wallet, purse or other item — you hope that someone will be honest and return it to you, right? Do you believe the same of other people's belongings, or do you proclaim, "Finders keepers, losers weepers?"

One man decided to test this question by purposefully dropping his wallet on a public street. This "honesty test" was to see how many people, if any, would try to return the wallet to its rightful owner.

This test was performed 50 times. Luckily, most of the people he found were honest — some even running to catch up to him and return the wallet in some instances. These acts show that most people choose honesty.

At the end of the clip, however, he drops his wallet as a group of four people pass by. One woman picks up the wallet and pockets it! The man even tries to ask if they have it with no luck. Sometimes people don't even take a second chance at honesty.

Would you try to return a wallet?

What about smaller things?

Once, I had just finished a shopping trip and discovered an item that I had not paid for. It was less than $2. I decided that the next time I went to the store, I would "buy" that same item, but leave the product at the store.

When I did this, the cashier was completely shocked. It made her day, and I was just glad to not carry a burden of dishonesty.